Ice hotel is a must see when you are in Swedish Lapland . But definitely you cannot experience the fabulous architecture made only of ice except in winter. That time, ICEHOTEL is constructed from 1,000 tonnes of Torne River ice and 30,000 tons of “snice”, a mixture of snow and ice to strengthens the structure. The amazing sculpture gives accommodation to tourists from world over between December to mid April.

ICEHOTEL is located in a small village named Jukkasjärvi, Sweden. You can travel here by train, plane or car .Between March and April, 5,000 tons of ice is harvested from the Torne River and kept in cold storage during spring and summer. Construction takes place in November and December and at the end of April, everything begins to slowly melt and return to the Torne River. They have both warm and cold rooms and they teach you to live in below minus temperatures.

Don’t be disappointed if you are there in Summer. Though not compared to the winter, you can stay in their small cottages and go for lots of activities there. They have guided tours to one of the oldest church of Sweden and to the Sami Slida, river rafting, kayaking , sami camps, hiking, fishing , cycling and many more. You can just simply take a seat beside the torn river and enjoy the serenity and beauty of the place. If you find it expensive, you can stay in Kiruna, where you will get cheaper hotels and hostels and come and have all the activities here. It is half an hour drive from Kiruna and the turistation also provide free transfer to and fro to ICEHOTEL.

The world has ice hotels or ice houses in several places. But Jukkasjärvi ICEHOTEL is most beautiful and unique. Last year 200 application of artists were submitted to build this hotel. And every year 15 applications are accepted and personalities from theatre, artists and architects build this amazing creation every year. So every year the design is different. I am waiting for a Christmas there 🙂